Assessment: At the most fundamental level, Bennett needed to maintain Israel’s freedom of movement in Syria …
At the most fundamental level, Bennett needed to maintain Israel’s freedom of action in Syria. Since the outbreak of the civil war a decade ago, and the ensuing growth of Iran’s presence, the IDF has repeatedly targeted Iranian positions and those of its proxy Hezbollah. Tehran’s pretext for involvement was to bolster its ally Bashar Assad, but its goals were much larger; to expand its sphere of influence, and ultimately to transform Ba’athist Syria into an Iranian satellite, a forward position from which to threaten the “Zionist regime.”
“Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of[a] Meshek and Tubal; prophesy against him and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshek and Tubal.” Ez. 38:2-3
Israel decided not to merely observe the growing Iranian buildup, but to adopt a policy of active preemption. The logic of the Israeli strategy mirrored that of the United States in the much-studied 1962 Cuban missile crisis, when President John Kennedy declared that the mere positioning of Soviet missiles in the Western Hemisphere was an unacceptable provocation, irrespective of a decision on their actual use.
From Jerusalem’s perspective, the Iranians’ deployment so far from their homeland, and so close to ours, was in itself illegitimate, necessitating a robust Israeli response. Read More @ JPost HERE
